Central STL News

After trading away several players at the MLB Trade Deadline for the second time in three seasons, the St. Louis Cardinals are not fully shifting their focus to developing young talent for the remainder of 2025. Despite being on the edges of playoff contention in both the NL Central and Wild Card races, manager Oliver Marmol is emphasizing a balance between winning games and player development.

Monday night’s win over the Los Angeles Dodgers showcased this approach. Veteran pitcher Sonny Gray held top hitters Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman in check with effective pitching, while Yohel Pozo contributed a key pinch-hit RBI. Local players Lars Nootbaar and JoJo Romero also played important roles—Nootbaar made a diving catch and Romero earned his second save after bullpen changes that saw Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton, and Steven Matz depart from the team.

While there was an opportunity to give more playing time to prospects like Quinn Mathews or younger position players such as Jordan Walker or Nolan Gorman, Marmol opted for experienced contributors in critical moments. The team’s roster remains crowded, with ongoing efforts to develop talents like Thomas Saggese, Gorman, Walker, Kyle Leahy, Ryan Fernandez, Matt Svanson, Andre Granillo, and Riley O’Brien.

“We’ve won games along the way, but not at the expense of rotating guys, [stressing] development and evaluating. We gave guys opportunities, and our staff is highly focused on growing these guys. That doesn’t change,” Marmol said.

He explained that daily lineup decisions will continue to vary as he balances player growth with competitive play. Alec Burleson is expected to remain a regular starter due to consistent performance at both outfield and first base positions. Iván Herrera will continue playing left field after recent strong hitting displays.

Gorman and Saggese will share third base duties as each works on specific defensive skills: Gorman improving lateral movement and Saggese refining throws across the diamond. Nootbaar and Walker will rotate in right field while Nootbaar also sees time in center field; injuries have affected both players’ seasons.

Marmol noted that unlike 2023—when many late-season players were not part of future plans—the current roster features athletes who are likely integral to upcoming seasons.

“This lineup is what’s next and some of these guys in the ‘pen, that’s what’s next,” Marmol said. “We’re investing in what the future is going to look like and that wasn’t the case last time.”